an outdoor space

these two photos have been sitting on my desktop for a very long time.

every now and then i think how great it would be to have an outdoor room or cabin somewhere where you can just be surrounded by trees.

images unfortunately unkown.

baskets, a collection of

created  by dutch designer piet hein eek, these fair trade baskets were made with with the help of local craftsmen and scrapwood from a small workshop in vietnam.

and they are available here.

via the style files

who doesn’t love a beach house?

this scandinavian beach house featured in house beautiful would be alright by me.
oh, it just smells of lazy summer days.

designed and owned by one of the founders of ochre, a beautiful housewares store in new york, it only makes sense that the home of harriet maxwell macdonald would be gorgeous too.

yep.  i think it would be all right.

visit ochre

images via house beautiful

thuya wood

essaouira is known for it’s thuya wood, which can be found as tables, boxes, trays, furniture and so on and so forth.  the problem is that it is now endangered due to the fact that it is basically found in every tourist souvenir shop.  knowing this, i headed to the thuya artisan collective which is reported to replenish whatever it is they use.  one artist showed us how he created the intricate inlaid boxwork that you find everywhere.  it takes years and years of practice, he had been doing it for some twenty odd years, and it was incredible.  unfortunately i didn’t get video of that, but i did manage to capture the artisan collective in a very shaky, quite anticlimactic pan of the courtyard…. but it’s video nonetheless!

they did everything in that courtyard, from cutting the wood, to making the object, creating the patina to putting your new jewelry box in a bag and sending you on your way.

advent post #10

my christmas tree is here!

i have dragged it through the streets and up to my apartment… and conveniently decorated it while i should have been writing a paper….funny how certain things take priority.

anyways, it won’t be completely ‘trimmed’ until my parents come to help me finish hanging ornaments.

inside the box

i saw this the other day in the eileen fisher corporate offices, and i think its a great idea.  not only do i love how this looks, but what a beautiful and simple way to display an object, or flowers like they did.

old wine crates would work well too.

they have a beautiful new fall bedding collection coming out in garnet hill, so make sure to keep an eye out for it.

a place to rest your feet

these chairs, from japanese company tone, are made from unstained, natural wood, and the colors  are achieved by the absorption of nutrients from the soil.

clutch appeal

this wooden clutch would make a fun addition to any purse lover‘s collection.

made out of american hickory and lined with leather, this clutch will wear beautifully with age.

available at moma

earth day

happy earth day!

if you can’t get out to plant a tree today, you can give back by donating to the world wildlife fund on their website.

stick work

the work of patrick dougherty, an artist from north carolina, is in one word incredible. he uses materials from the surrounding area, such as twigs and sticks, to build his sculptures.  the one pictured happens to be one that was on display in my home town, at the santa barbara botanical garden. 

more of his work can be found on his website, where each structure is more whimsical than the last.